Pesticides banned by the EU for harming the bee population could also be killing birds and mammals and organisms in the soil, a new study has found.

Certain neonicotinoids were banned by the European Commission earlier this year, despite resistance by the UK Government, because of fears the chemicals kill bees.

Now a study by the University of Sussex has claimed the pesticides accumulate in the soil and water, potentially damaging a wider range of wildlife and the soil itself.

The study, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, used a number of studies, including some by the chemical companies themselves, to show the pesticides persist at levels dangerous to wildlife. Prof Dave Goulson, who led the study, said harm to bees may be just the tip of the iceberg

Full Article: The Telegraph (14 June 2013)